A great articulation involving government authorities and social movements to promote sustainable and healthy territories in the context of traditional peoples and communities. That is the overview for the Political Incidence Week, promoted by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) and by the Board of Traditional Communities (FCT), in Brasília, through the Sustainable and Healthy Territories Observatory of Bocaina (OTSS).
Carried out between August 14th and 18th, the mission also gathered representatives of the National Coordination for Traditional Caiçara Communities (CNCTC), the National Coordination for Black and Rural Quilombos (Conaq) and the Guarani Yvyrupa Committee (CGY), authority which represents the Guarani people in Southern and Southeasten Brazil.
In addition to the meeting with President Lula, which featured the importance of articulating scientific and traditional knowledge to promote health and sustainable development, the group gathered with representatives from the Ministries of Health, Culture, Environment and Climate Change, Justice, Education, Indigenous Peoples and Racial Equality. Other schedules also included visits to the President’s General Secretariat, to Ibama, Funai, the National Congress and to the National Secretariat for Civil Defense.
“It was a moment to celebrate cultural diversity and also a platform to discuss public policies anchored in the territory, enforcing the commitment of Lula’s government to the public health agenda in territories. The alliance that was formed in the meeting carries a powerful message: the cooperation of reputable institutions and ancient knowledge is the path for Brazil to be healthier and more sustainable,” said Hermano Castro, vice-president of Environment, Attention and Promotion of Health at Fiocruz (VPAAPS).
The articulation was also celebrated by social movements representing traditional peoples and communities. “We defend life, the forest, the sea and the fish, and each one of us must understand the reason why we are here. In view of that, we use this collective articulation so that the people in this fighting journey can join us and benefit from the results of those actions,” completed Júlio Karay, OTSS Special Advisor for Indigenous Articulation and member of the coordinations of the Board of Traditional Communities (FCT) and the Guarani Yvyrupá Committee (CGY).
Among the consequences of the mission was the creation of an Interministerial dialogue and integration group with social movements acting in the surroundings of Bocaina for prototyping territory-based public policies to promote health and sustainable development. The first group meeting will take place in October, in Rio de Janeiro, in the context of Caravanas do Bem Viver promoted by Fiocruz, FCT, OTSS, Fluminense Federal University (UFF) and the State University of São Paulo (Unesp).
Source: Fiocruz News Agency (AFN).
